Crowning a Princess
by Qusegozyz
Summary: Living life abroad as the ward of Lord Aizen, Orihime is unexpectedly called home to be married of to the crown prince, Ichigo Kurosaki. Will this Arranged marriage finally bring her the happiness she has been longing for or will she find that it was all just a ploy to overthrow the royal family?
1. Homecoming

Hello and welcome to my first fanfic – 10 years in the making. This is a story that I started and published when I was still in high school. Now almost a decade later I have decided to take it up again. I do not own the charters, bleach and nor am I Tite Kobo.

* * *

 _ **Chapter One - Homecoming**_

Ichigo had just got back from a month long trip to his grandmothers when his father requested his presence in his office. Walking down the corridor he gave an audible sigh, his father was a child and never had anything important to say.

"TAKE THAT!"

Ichigo sidestepped to avoid his father's roundhouse kick that came predictably sailing in his direction as he walked through his office door. The King collided with the wall with a rather loud bang, standing up with a grin far too wide for someone who just face-planted a wall. "Well done my son, you have evaded my attack!"

"Whatever old man" Ichigo mumbled as he slumped into one of the large, old leather armchairs.

"My son, Now that you are all grown up, I have decided that it is time for you to become a man." The king declared with triumph.

"What are you babbling on about now?" grumbled his son with disinterest.

"My dear, dear son, it is time you were married… and I have picked the perfect bride for you." He said with glee.

"W-W-What?" Ichigo was in a state of complete shock, he had only just turned twenty-one, and his father was already marring him off. "I c-c-can't, I won't."

"Why?" replied his father with a sulking face.

"Because… There is no way I am going to marry some stuck up, rich, spoilt little girl that just wants to be a princess!" and with that he got up and walked out of the office leaving his father sulking like a child but missing the mischievous grin that spread across his face as he watched his son stomp off.

Orihime walked up the marble steps and through the large, oak front door. She was glowing, her hair was shining in the sun and her smile was dazzling, but her heart… her heart was in despair. She had been abroad for almost six years now and today she was finally going home. Leaving the beautiful city of Venice would have been enough to dull the heart of any young lady, but this was different. Orihime had been the ward of Lord Aizen since the death of her family when she was four. He was a cruel man, with no love in his heart and with a smile so evil, it rivalled that of the devil himself. Now she was back in his charge with a fake smile blasted on her face, trying desperately to hide her fear. She heard the hushed voices of servants as she walked inside and down the hall toward one of the many sitting rooms, the one where he would be waiting.

"Orihime, welcome home, my dear." He did not turn around to welcome her.

"My Lord." She bowed gracefully at his back.

"I have good news, you are to be married to the heir of the Royal Kurosaki family, Crowned Prince Ichigo Kurosaki." He stated with indifference.

"W-W-What?" she was in a state of complete shock, she was not yet eighteen and he was already marring her off. "I c-c-can't get m-m-married, I won't."

At this, Aizen turned to look at her, she was different from how he remembered her; when he sent her abroad to further her education, she was just an eleven-year-old girl. What stood before him now was a beautiful young woman, she was thin but voluptuous, short but still clearly a fully-grown woman. Her face had thinned out giving her a more womanly appearance. She was truly the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, but she was worth a lot as an exchange and as he could not have her for himself, he would exchange her to help achieve his goals. He gave an inaudible sigh and took two quick steps towards her. She heard a loud slap before she felt a searing pain across her left cheek.

"You will do as you are told" and with that, he left her standing in the sitting room completely shocked. He always was a scary guardian but _he_ had never laid a hand on her before, not once.

 _ **~ One week later ~**_

It had been a week since their brother had returned home from visiting their grandmother and he was still angry. Yuzu and Karin were eating breakfast while watching the King and Prince fight. All week their brother and father had been fighting on whether or not Ichigo would marry Lady Inoue. She was the ward of Sosuke Aizen, a very powerful and dangerous man, but the King was determined to have Lady Inoue as a daughter-in-law and Ichigo was determined to choose his own bride in his own time.

"JUST TELL ME WHY? Why are you so hung up on me marrying a complete stranger?" Ichigo yelled through the breakfast parlour.

All of a sudden, the king stopped his antics and turned towards his son. His face was no longer the face of a stubborn child but that of a wise man, it was the face of a king.

"The late Lady Inoue was your mothers' best friend. She died almost fourteen years ago. It was your mothers wish that Inoue be brought into the royal family and that when you both became of age you would be married. Somehow, her custody fell into the hands of Aizen who declined all offers for her to move in with us at the palace. Your mom would visit her at least once a week until she too passed away, three years after the death of her friend." Looking up into his son's eyes the king sighed before continuing, "It was her dying wish that you two be wed, so I have made the arrangements. The wedding will take place in three days time."

His son was at a loss of what to say; he knew he would not be able to say no, not after knowing that it had been his mothers dying wish.

"Dad, why did you never tell me this? Why have I not met this girl before?"

"Aizen never brought her to any social gatherings that you attended, he was very insistent that you two would not meet. But now, he has finally agreed to the marriage, so that is that, you will be married by the end of the week, Oh! And just you wait; I have planned the most romantic wedding journey for the two of you. Your first royal tour of Europe as a couple."

"Arrr… Fine", and with that, Ichigo stomped out of the room, again.

Orihime was sitting in her private sitting room while she read one of her French history books. Despite French being her fourth language, she had no trouble reading the difficult passages. It was a beautiful day and she had wanted to spend it in the gardens, even if all she did was read her history book out in the sun. Unfortunately, she had been locked in her chambers since she had refused the hand of the prince, not that _he_ had really offered it. She had spent the time catching up on her Greek and French history as well as practising her calculus. Her reading was interrupted by the sound of her door opening; she looked over her shoulder to see her guardian entering the room with his first officer following close behind. Placing her book on the table she stood to greet her guests.

"My Lord, Sir Ulquiorra" She curtsied as she addressed the two gentlemen.

Ulquiorra bowed low and from the waist while Aizen simply gave a nod of his head before speaking.

"Have you accepted your fate, my dear?"

"M-m-my f-fate, but I do not love him, how can I marry someone that I do not love?" Unable to control her emotions her voice shook with the beginnings of her oncoming hysteria.

"My dear sunshine," Aizen began to walk toward her as he spoke. "I took you in, I put a roof over your head, I clothed you, feed you and this is how you repay me?"

Her eyes began to swell with tears as she tried to form a reply.

"I-I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to be disrespectful or ungrateful but I can't betray my heart like that, I will not marry someone that I don't love."

The smile never left his face as he gave a tired sigh and turned around so that Orihime could not see his face, "My dear, I'm sorry but I have to disagree. I feel that as your guardian it is my responsibility to ensure you do what is best for you. You must understand that it is my job to… _convince_ you… to make the right choice. You don't mind do you?" He turned to face her once again at that last sentence.

Confused and scared, all Orihime could do was shake her head, after all, of course, all he would want was what was best for her. "Good, Ulquiorra also wishes to encourage you to make the right discussion, so for now, I will leave you in his care, Ulquiorra I trust you know what I expect."

"My Lord" The emotionless answer was sharp and respectful as the officer bowed to his departing lord.

Orihime once again curtsied, but as she raised her head, she felt a shape pain as the officers' fist collided with her stomach. She doubled over but before she had time to recover, she was pulled back up by her hair, only to be struck again. This continued until she heard the unfamiliar sound of her ribs snapping, which was the point when she lost consciousness.

* * *

Thank-you so much for reading. Please feel free to leave a review or PM me with any and all feedback, be it good or bad. I am currently looking for a beta for not only this story but a few others I am currently working on as well. If anyone would like to volunteer as tribute?


	2. Preparations

_**Chapter Two - Preparations**_

"So… when do we get to meet her?" Yuzu's smiling face came out of nowhere blocking Ichigo's view of the book he had in his lap. Ichigo was a great reader and he did not appreciate being interrupted while he was engrossed in one of his novels.

"You can meet her right after I do… on my wedding day." he deadpanned.

"WHAT? You mean you're not going to meet her before the big day? You can't do that, you have to meet her… today!" She all but yelled in his ear. Yuzu was shocked at the show of indifference displayed by her brother. He was going to be married in two days to a woman he had yet to meet, and by the way that he was acting, he did not even want to meet her.

"Look Yuzu, I have to spend the rest of my life with this woman, having two days of peace before the wedding is the least I deserve" And with that, he stood and went to go read in his private study.

 _ **Later That Evening**_

"My Lord, as predicted the Prince has shown no interest in meeting Lady Inoue before their marriage." Gin smiled as he addressed the brown-haired man that was sitting across from him in front of the large fireplace. Upon hearing this news, Aizen simply smiled, unlike the room's third occupant.

"However that may be, I still believe that the marriage should be postponed until her wounds heal. The prince is a healthy young man; once he sets his eyes on his new bride he will not hesitate to consummate their marriage. If he should see…"

"And that's coming from a blind man" Gin snickered as Aizen stood from his chair and turned to face his two companions.

"You underestimate the Prince, Tosen. As predicted our honourable King has scheduled their honeymoon to start directly after their wedding. However... I have a little something planned to… _delay_ their little trade deal with the Kuchiki's. With Orihime's unusual accelerated healing, her injuries will be completely healed in half the time it will take the prince to sort out the aftermath. I am confident the prince will not touch her until then. I believe he is under the impression that he is a gentleman of sorts and therefore will be none the wiser about Orihime's initial reluctance."

"I take it then, that she has agreed to the marriage?" Tosen queried.

"Yes" interjected Gin. "I believe she has reconsidered her options and now agrees that her union with the Prince is in… _everybody's_ best interests." The sly grin on his fox-like face hiding his real thoughts. There was never any doubt that Aizen's plan would work, after all, Aizen was always ten steps ahead.

 _ **The Wedding Day**_

Today was the day; the day that every little girl dreamed of. It had been a week and three days since she had arrived home. A week and three days since she had first been informed about her engagement to the crowned prince and three days since she had been … _persuaded_ to agree to said engagement. The royal family's 'function planners' had organized everything, the day she had agreed, two old women had come to take her measurements for her gown. She could barely stand upright and the woman did not question the winces she made when they began pulling and pushing her about.

Orihime was now seated in the back of a white chase and four being taken to the castle for her hair and makeup appointment. As the carriage pulled up, the footman jumped down to open her door. With a deep breath, she stepped out of the carriage hanging her head low as she walked up the marble stairs and through the large wooden doors. She had yet to look up when she felt something painfully collide with her chest. Her thoughts were immediately thrown back to the day when Aizen had left her alone in Ulquiorra's company. She could not hold back the shriek that escaped her lips as she pulled away from the body that had just connected with hers. With her back to the wall and her arms brought up defensively in front of her, Orihime struggled to control her breathing.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to frighten you." Orihime lifted her head at the sound of a sweet young voice. She looked into the worried honey brown eyes of a little girl with pale hair. Standing next to her with the same worried expression was another young girl with hair of a much darker shade. "I was just so happy to finally meet you properly," continued the now awkward girl. It was at this point that Orihime realized just who was standing before her and just how she behaved in their presence.

"Your Highnesses, please allow me to apologize, I was just startled, that is all, please forgive my inexcusable behaviour" The two girls stood with shocked expressions across their faces as they stared at the woman before them who was currently in a low curtsey. They had met Lady Inoue before at a social event three years ago in Venice, but that had just been a formal introduction, and they had not had the time to speak more than a few short words of introduction between the three of them. By the time Lady Inoue was sent away to continue her European tour, they had seen her at least a dozen times at various social occasions. However, the beauty was always kept on a tight leash, always with her head down, always a pace behind Lord Aizen but despite only ever being present for the first hour or so before she was escorted home, she always had a smile spread wide across her face. The famous beauty was kept away from the public eye as much a possible; no man dared address her, for fear of her caretaker's wrath. Now, the woman was to become their sister, and they could talk and play together for as long as they liked.

After a moment had passed, Yuzu regained her composure enough to speak again.

"Oh no, there is nothing to forgive, I'm sorry I should not have jumped on you so suddenly, I wanted to meet you so much that I could not help myself."

"You have already met her, you used to go to the same parties when we went to Venice before she was sent away again." Mumbled the darker head girl in a tone that could only be described as a combination of annoyance and boredom.

"That's not the same, I've only ever had a formal introduction and that lasted all of three seconds, and that was years ago"

"You have no one to blame but yourself, you're the one that was always too scared to go and talk to her because of _that_ man."

"It's not my fault, I'm not the only one who is scared of him, and you won't go near him either"

"No one, who is in their right mind would _ever_ go near _that_ psychopath."

"Karin, don't say that in front of Lady Inoue, she's his ward!"

"That just means she should know better than anyone just how much of a psycho he really is!" With that, she gave a nod and turned on her heel to head inside. The other two stood in the doorway monetarily before following the girl inside and upstairs to a large dressing room. The team of servants flocked around the three and began their work to prepare them for the royal wedding. To Orihime's left, the three middle-aged servants that stepped forward to attend to Yuzu did not hesitate to greet her with warm smiles and begin to start twisting and pulling her hair into elegant curls gathered with a light pink ribbon tied with a bow. The situation to her right, however, was quite different. Two younger servants stood hesitantly behind an older, more experienced servant. As they stepped forward and began to work on Karin's hair, Karin moved her head from left to right claiming that the woman was too rough and making it almost impossible for the servants to work.

"Ouch, why do they make us suffer such torture?" Karen moaned as she once again tried to move her head out of reach of the many hands trying to grab her hair.

The girls' outburst shocked Orihime, that is, until she heard the childish laughter come from the girl on her other side. Stealing a glance at Yuzu she could not help the grin that spread across her face as the girl explained.

"Karin hates having her hair done!" she giggled.

Soon the three girls were talking and laughing away and before long, it was time to be dressed and Orihime was ushered into a separate room were her gown lay waiting. She was memorized by its beauty as she stood before the masterpiece made of the finest silk and lace. With her mind preoccupied, she did not notice the door shut behind her, leaving her in the room with four servants. They quickly brought back her attention as they stepped forward and began to undress her despite her protests. The head servant was an elderly woman, who had taking the task of undoing her corset. Her hands however immediately came to a stop when the material was parted enough to reveal smooth skin stained with purple patches. Pulling the sides back together, she turned her attention to the other three servants before addressing them.

"It seems Lady Inoue is shy, perhaps she would feel more comfortable with less eyes upon her. If the rest of you would wait outside I will continue this alone so that she feels more comfortable" The three other servants bowed in acknowledgement before taking their leave shutting the door once again behind them. With the two alone, the elderly woman began once again to loosen Orihime's corset.

"So my lady, you have managed to secure the heart of our handsome Prince Kurosaki." Orihime could not tell if it was a question or a statement. The woman had a kind and understanding smile, giving Orihime the feeling that she was being addressed by a loving grandmother, rather than a servant. "When did the Prince finally ask for your hand? You could not have been engaged long or there would have been a formal engagement party." Completely taken of guard by the woman's inquiry, Orihime could do nothing but stare with a baffled expression before she was final able to compose herself enough to form a reply.

"Well… you see, this marriage was arranged by the King and my guardian, Lord Aizen. I have not had the pleasure of meeting the Prince in person." Orihime looked down shyly in order to avoid the womans gaze as she stuttered out her reply.

"I see, do not worry yourself my dear, I have known the Prince all his life, I'm sure the two of you will get along very well." The woman smile's was so comforting; Orihime could not help but voice her worries.

"But it's just so sudden… I'm not yet eighteen and I'm getting married to a man I have never meet." Her voice was so small and shaky that Orihime wondered if the woman could understand a single word she was saying.

"When were you first asked to marry the Prince, if you don't mind my asking, my lady?"

"Just over a week ago, when I first arrived home from my time abroad."

"And when did you accept the proposal?" She asked the question in such a way, that Orihime felt she already knew the answer.

"Three days ago" Her reply came just as her corset was removed and her slip fell to the floor leaving her in nothing but three-day-old bruises.


	3. Complications and Revelations

**Hello once again and sorry for the late update. I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for reading my story and especially those of you who took the time to offer your words of encouragement. Please enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Three – Complications And Revelations**_

Ichigo stood perfectly still upon a small pedestal, his groomsmen surrounding him as he was poked and prodded by the royal tailors.

"Do you have to look so goddam constipated Kurosaki? I mean she isn't that bad is she?" Lord Uryu, who had been one of the prince's closes companions since they were ten, had no problems berating the groom.

"I wouldn't know. I haven't met her yet. And I'm not constipated, you would look like this too if you had to marry a complete stranger."

"You haven't met her?" Lord Yasutora piped up uncharacteristically, his eyebrows rising high enough to almost expose his eyes from underneath the mop of messy hair on his head.

"NO, I haven't met her, I have known about this marriage for all of three days, what was I meant to do, drop everything so I could spend 72 hours with her before we were wed?"

"That's a bit of an extreme exaggeration don't you think"

"Go fuck yourself Ishida, and what are you even doing here? Your new estate is a week's ride away."

"And?"

"And, how did you get here so fast?"

"What are you talking about? Chad and I received our invitations five weeks ago."

"Fiv-" Ichigo was interrupted by the sound of a commotion outside the door. Breathing out slowly his nose flaring he counted to three before he took another breath. "OLD MAN! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE! GET IN HERE!"

The door opened almost immediately and in strolled the king with a charming smile, clearly pretending he had not just been caught out eavesdropping. The occupants of the room, with the exception of Ichigo, stopped to bow at their Sovereign.

"My son, don't you look dashing!" He said while waving a hand of dismissal at the two bowing dukes. "Come now gentlemen, there is no need for that just yet, today will be filled with formalities, the least we can do is relax when it's just us men!"

"I thought you said I had a choice in this marriage, and yet these two got there invitations before I left for grandma's, what the hell were you going to do if I had said no huh, tape me to the fucking alter!" Ichigo was as red as a strawberry at this point.

"That's funny, I don't remember saying you had a choice in the matter" His dad counted rubbing his chin with a fake look of confusion.

Ichigo was absolutely flabbergasted, his father was going to make him marry the woman regardless of whether he had agreed or not. Did he not care at all about his future?, about his happiness?

"Do you mean to tell me that you thought that this _royal wedding_ was organized in just three days?" Interjected Ishida.

Just before Ichigo could respond, with what he didn't know, there came a knock on the door. After a moment a head topped with fiery red spikes popped through.

"Am I interrupting?" The knight said with an uncharacteristically large grin.

"Not at all Sir Abarai, please come and join us" Answered Ishida formal as ever.

"Renji, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off kissing Byakuya's ass?" Came Ichigo's response, a second later accompanied by a very loud thump.

"Oww, What the _hell_ was that for?" he screamed at his father, rubbing the large bump forming on the back of his head.

"Don't be rude, Ichigo" retorted the king with a smug looking on his face.

"Actually, I have some bad news." Renji quickly interrupted sensing that without intervention the situation between father and son would escalate exponentially.

This caused all the occupants of the room to cease their antics and turn their full attention to the rooms newest occupant.

"There has been an incident at our joint office, a part of the roof had collapsed due to water damaged. It seems like there had been a leak in the upper ceiling and the wood finally gave away, all the paperwork for the trade deal with Lord Kuchiki has been destroyed"

At the talk of business Chad and Ishida decided it was best to give Ichigo and Renji some privacy, they quickly left the room making excuses that there was still preparations to be made.

"That's not all," the Knight continued after the two Lords had left. "I have a letter here from my Lord stating that as the office building is owned by the royal family, its upkeep is your responsibility and he holds you accountable for this setback."

"Of course the bastard does!" Ichigo all but spat.

"I just wanted to give you the heads up, I didn't want you to get the news half way through your wedding journey and have to cut it short."

"Thanks, Renji, I appreciated it." Smiled the prince taking the letter.

The Knight bowed low at the royal duo and left the room calling out a playful "Good Luck" as he walked away.

"I'm going to have to redo everything." Ichigo said to the almost empty room with a sigh of defeat. Looking over to his father for a response. He was being suspiciously quite and had a very uncharacteristic serious expression on his face. "Well, at least I get to postpone this ridiculous honeymoon!" And with that Ichigo stomped out of the room leaving the King to contemplate the news.

* * *

Dressed in their elegant gowns, the three made their way down the marble steps to their awaiting carriages. The two younger girls turned to the older, curtsying before entering their carriage. Orihime was left standing in front of her own golden royal carriage, the footmen left awkwardly standing with his hand extended waiting to help her up. With a sigh, she took the offered hand and climbed up into her seat only to come face to face with her guardian, but off course, he was going to walk her down the aisle and give her away.

"Orihime, my dear, your look absolutely… _ravishing_ " Aizen smiled.

"M-m-my Lord" She replied to his unusual, if not somewhat… inappropriate, greeting. They spent the majority of the ride in silence, each looking out the windows at the crowds that had gathered to watch the soon to be princess drive by.

"I do hope my dear, that you fully understand what is to be expected of you?" Aizen broke the silence very nonchalantly.

"Exp-p-p-pected of me" She mentally rebuked herself for not being able to steady her voice.

"Yes, _Orihime,_ you have been in my care since you were four years old, I have been responsible for raising you, and anything you say or do will be a direct reflection on me. You understand, don't you my dear?"

It was then that something occurred to Orihime that she had not considered before. With her marriage to the crown prince, she would become a member of the royal family and no longer be the ward of this man. She would be free of him. She would be able to live her life the way she wanted to. If she wished, she would never have to see him again. This sudden realization lifted her spirits and gave her hope. When she finally stepped out of the carriage and onto the front steps of the church, she did so with new determination and the biggest smile spread across her face.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading and I am sorry that I have cut it short right before the wedding ceremony. I assure you this was not done for the purpose of suspense. Rather I have been struggling to make up my mind with Ichigo's initial reaction to Orihime. Therefore I decided to update with what I had to keep you tide over until I can make up my indecisive mind. Next chapter... They finally meet!... Promise!**

 **As always I welcome and encourage you to review with any and all comments and thoughts, good or bad.**

 **(PS: I'm still looking for a beta, if anyone is willing to sacrifice themselves)**


	4. The Ceremony

**Welcome back. I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, I have no excuses, just my apologies.**

 **Thank-you to all of you who took the time to provide me with their thoughts on my story, your words inspire me to continue more than you could ever know. Now as promised the chapter where they meet...**

* * *

 _ **The Ceremony**_

It had never occurred to Ichigo to stop and wonder what his bride-to-be actually looked like, he had been much too occupied with the thought that she would have the same rotten, stuck up personality as all the other noble young ladies he was acquainted with. So when he overheard two servants gossiping in the corridor about the physical _abnormalities_ of the woman in question he found himself quite surprised to be unable to get thoughts of her unknown appearance out of his mind. She was 18 years old, only a little younger than himself, but she had been out in society since she was 14. For a woman as rich as her too be unattached after four years out in society, even despite her overbearing guardian, then whatever her _abnormalities_ were, they must make her quite undesirable. Off-course it was just his luck to be tied to such a woman for the rest of his life. Quickly banishing the negative thoughts from his mind he walked down the corridor and into the main hall of the church, passing the two servants, who upon seeing the prince bowed low and scuttled off to wherever they where no doubt meant to be. Chad and Ishida were waiting beside the altar when he entered the hall and he vaguely took note of his father in a deep discussion with the priest behind them as they bowed formally.

"Let's get this over with!" Ichigo growled under his breath as he took his place.

The two lords shared a knowing look before Ishida spoke. "I see you can barely contain your excitement at meeting your beautiful bride, Ichigo". The sarcasm in his voice was hard to miss.

Ichigo scoffed "Beautiful... yes I overheard the servants talking about her deformities, it does not matter how unsightly she is anyway, once today is over that woman is going to spend the rest of her life two steps behind me."

This time the look that the two lords shared was one of confusion; it was well known that the Lady Inoue was a great beauty. Whatever the prince had overheard was obviously taken out of context, and although the two knew exactly what part of the lady the two servants had most likely been discussing, they were interrupted by the sound of the churches organ before they could reply. Everyone in the hall quietly took their places and the guests in the pews all stood and turned to the opening door.

Orihime could not remember ever being so nervous. Her heart was fluttering, her knees wobbling, she could barely keep herself upright, and here she stood just outside the grand church waiting for her queue to enter. Lord Aizen was talking to one of his henchmen, the blind one with long hair and warm dark skin. She could barely breathe; there was an unpleasant tightness in her chest that made it impossible for her to stand still, so there she was, shifting ever so slightly, from foot to foot, desperately searching for something to distract her turbulent mind. And then it started, the music grew more familiar and the wedding party began to make there way down the aisle. The large precession even walking in slow-time was much too fast and before she knew it Aizen was by her side and flipping her veil over to cover her face before smoothly taking her hand and placing it in the crook of his elbow. The walk was tortuously slow and she kept her eyes down in a desperate attempt to focus on controlling her breathing, but it stopped altogether the moment she let her eyes glance up. There he stood, her husband, well future husband. He was tall, had the strangest coloured hair and his Royal military uniform hugged his broad muscular chest, clearly showing his athleticism. Every inch of him emanated masculinity. Sweeping her eyes over his body they came to rest upon his face. He was watching the flower girls throw petals in the air, his expression soft and caring but still not quite a smile. He was the most handsome man she had ever laid her eyes on, and he was her husband, well future husband.

Ichigo watched as one by one the members of the bridal party took their places. He watched fondly at his little cousin's playing their part of the flower girls and ring bearer. But even their smiling faces and cute waves could not cool his bad temper. He was so distracted by both them and his adorable little sisters that before he even realized he was staring straight up into the cool chilling smile of Lord Aizen. Clearing his throat he held out his hand, Aizen smirked and leaned down brushing his cheek against the woman's, kissing it through the veil before placing her small, gloved hand in the princes. Her veil was so thick and covered in lace he could barely make out her facial features. As per the compulsory formalities, he brought her hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on her silk glove before turning and nodding to the priest to proceed. The ceremony was long and tedious with all the formalities and protocol that accompanies a royal wedding. Kneeling for what felt like an eternity he could feel his right leg start to cramp up, luckily for him it was time for them to exchange their sacred vows. He stood and very subtly stretched his leg as the priest began.

"Do you, Prince Ichigo Kurosaki, Son of King Issin and heir to the Karakura Throne take thee Lady Orihime Inoue, Daughter of the late Marquess Inoue and Marchioness of Sakurabashi, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do" He replied with a strong, clear voice.

"And do you" the priest continued "Lady Orihime Inoue, Daughter of the late Marquess Inoue and Marchioness of Sakurabashi, take thee, Prince Ichigo Kurosaki, Son of King Issin and heir to the Karakura Throne, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

There was a pause as Orihime took a breath and peeked up at the man in question before she gave her own reply "I do." Her voice was clear and could be heard throughout the hall but despite its clarity and strength, it had a softness that was undeniably beautiful. Ichigo found himself surprisingly soothed by the soft declaration the woman beside him had made. Turning to face the noble lady that would be his wife within a few minutes, he took her hands and begun.

"I, Ichigo Kurosaki, take thee, Orihime Inoue, to be my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth." Looking into what little he would see of her eyes through the thick veil he made his vow. Once he was done he waited for her to make hers with baited breath. It dawned on him that he was desperate to hear her sweet voice again and this realization annoyed him. But that little annoyance went out the window when after a moment she began, her voice, sweet like honey was music to his ears.

"I, Orihime Inoue, take thee, Ichigo Kurosaki, to be my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth." Ichigo let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding and quickly turned to take the ring his 6-year-old second cousin offered to him on an ivory silk pillow. He gave the boy a smile while lightly patting his head. The slight gasp coming from underneath the veil brought him back to the task at hand. Taking her glove off to reveal milky white skin he once again took her soft small hand in his.

"With this ring, I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." And with that, he slid the ring onto her finger, the same ring that had once adorned his late mother's finger now belonged to a woman that by no means deserved it. It was a perfect fit.

"You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide. You may now kiss your bride." Ichigo was snapped out of his darkening thought by the priest's last sentence, that was not part of the usual formalities. He was going to be expected to kiss her in front of everyone. He glanced over at his father who was currently grinning like a fool, so that must have been what they had been discussing. Ichigo sighed as he reached for her veil. If a kiss was what was expected then a kiss they would all get. He knew how important the image of the royal family was to the stability of the kingdom, and that as that kingdoms prince he was expected to set an example. As he lifted the veil his mind was once again drawn to the overheard conversation that the servants had had in the corridor. What would she look like underneath all that lace? Before his imagination could run wild on him the veil was lifted and for the first time he looked upon the face of his bride. His breathing stopped as he gaped at the creature before him. Her creamy skin was smooth, her cheeks peachy in their blush as she looked down at their joined hands. Her hair was a mixture of many different colours ranging bright oranges to deep reds to create the loveliest shade of Auburn. It was up in a collection of thick curls that framed her heart-shaped face. And then she looked up and into his eyes and he was lost. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever beheld and he found himself falling into the depths of her stormy grey eyes. When he began to lean down his eyes fell to her full red lips and he kissed her. It was only a light kiss that lasted a moment, but it was enough. It was in that moment he knew he was hooked and that he would go to great lengths to taste those sweet lips again. Moving back ever so slightly he once again looked into her eyes to see her innocent shy blush. He could not describe the feeling that was swelling in his chest, the warmth that seemed to be spreading to his extremities. All he knew was that this feeling was dangerous.

The round of applause broke him out of his trance and he turned to face the crowd that now stood to cheer. With his wife's hand still in his they walked back down the aisle; she, smiling at the crowd and nodding her thanks at their congratulations, he, with his ever-present scowl nodding along with her. No one noticing the deadly tight grip in which he held onto her hand.

It was finally over, she was no longer an Inoue, she was now a Kurosaki and the crowned Princess. Peaking a glance at her new husband, she could not help but wonder what kind of man she had married. His jaw was clenched and angular, his eyes dark and brooding and his lips were set in a hard scowl. Despite all this, he really was incredibly handsome, and with the comforting words of the elderly servant who had dressed her, she could not bring herself to prematurely judge him harshly. They spent a little under half an hour riding through the streets, waving at the masses as they went. Orihime was eager to speak with her new husband. Fidgeting in her seat, she could not stop herself from continuously stealing sideways glances at him. He, on the other hand, had barely looked at her and showed no interest in doing so. Perhaps he found her looks displeasing; she had always been different from the other young ladies her age, with curves beyond her years and hair the colour of rust, it would be no surprise if he was upset she was not prettier. On several occasions she turned her head and took in a breath ready to speak, but each time she looked at his serious face regarding the crowd and she lost her nerve instead just looking back out her own window. It was not until they were further away from the church and well into the park leading to the palace that the silence was at last broken.

"We will spend the next month or so with my father in the royal palace. After I have completed my work we will start our wedding journey, I must have no distractions during that time." The prince stated trying to keep his voice neutral but unable to completely remove his annoyance from his tone. He had not even bothered to turn is head to look at her, instead, keeping his gaze on the trees passing them by. His head was still throbbing from his father's earlier blow before the ceremony and despite the cool wind on his face the pain only seemed to worsen.

Startled by this unexpected news all Orihime could do was stutter out a quite "Y-y-yes, Your H-h-highness" before returning to look out her own window.

And with that, the carriage was once again restored to silence. After several minutes of what Orihime considered to be extremely awkward silence, she took a breath and blurted out the first thing that popped into her head.

"So, I guess we are married now huh?"

In response, Ichigo's head slowly turned to finally look at her. The expression on his face portrayed only disbelief, but internally he was seething. The woman was clearly a simpleton and the idea that he had to spend the rest of his life with someone that was not his match in intellect, no matter how beautiful she was, was repugnant. This girl was to bear the responsibility of producing not only his heirs but also the heir to the throne.

"Indeed" he hissed through clenched teeth. How could his father subject him to such a partner, did the king have no regard for the heritage of his grandchildren? 'But at least they would be beautiful' the unwelcome thought was pushed to the back of his mind.

Orihime blushed at her own silliness.

"Is that o-o-okay?… I mean... D-d-do you mind? No that's not…" Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she looked him in the eyes and tried again. "What I mean to ask is; Are you Happy?"

Ichigo was at a lose, what on earth was this girl, his wife, going on about. "Happy? Happy? Are you seriously asking me if I am _happy_ to marry a complete stranger? A little girl, a stuttering child just wanting to be a princess?" Orihime's shock was clear on her face, nonetheless, the prince continued. "I'm sure you jumped at the chance to marry the most eligible bachelor in the country, I, however, was not given a choice in the matter, so now that you _are_ a princess, let me tell you what's going to happen." He leaned over causing Orihime to lean back and press her back into the carriage door. "When we return from our wedding journey, we will be moving to my private estate, so you will not be surrounded by the luxury and splendour that you are no doubt accustomed to. You will be expected to follow every direction given to you. You will be expected to follow in my shadow for the rest of your life. You will smile and wave and keep that pretty, _ignorant_ mouth of yours shut." His eyes drifted to the mouth in question and his mind wondered in a different direction. "You will bear my heirs, and devote the rest of your life to me" There was only a split second before he corrected himself " … to the crown." And with that, he moved back to his original position of looking out the window.

Orihime's heart crumbled, her newly found freedom was being ripped away from her before it even had the opportunity to begin.

* * *

 **Arrrr I'm so sorry it had to be done... I am not going to make Ichigo into a bad guy I swear, just think of him as doing a Mr Darcy. Please review with your thoughts and suggestions. Until next time.**


End file.
